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1. mme E. G. LATTA.

u TRAGE BUCKLE. No'. 283,259. Patented Aug; '14, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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EMMIT G. LATTA, OF FRIENDSHIP, NEV YORK, ASSIGNORv OF TVOTTI-IIRDS TOADRIAN C. LATTA, AOF SAME PLAGE, AND HARVEY I). BLAKESLEE,

OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,259, dated August14, 1883.

Application tiled May 3, 1883. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern,.- v A Be it known that I," EMMIT G; LATTA,of Friendship, in the county of Allegany and State of N ew York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Trace-Buckles, of whic l. thefollowing is a speciiication. l y

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of trace-buckleswhich are composed of two parts, one being provided with a stub- Iotongue and having a loop whereby it is-held to the trace, and the otherbeing attached to the hame-tug and bearingA upon the trace, so as tohold it in engagement with the tongue.

The object'of my invention is to produce a buckle of this character,which will securely clamp the trace in rear of the tongue and preventthe tongue from tearing the leather, and which Will permit the trace tobe adjusted or the buckle to be shifted on the trace Withoutv 2oremoving the trace from the buckle or hametug loops. y

My invention consists of the improvements which will be hereinafterAfully set forth, and

pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l isr a longitudinal sectionalelevation of my improved buckle. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of the buckle in the position in which itsecures the 3o trace to the haine-tug. Fig. 4 -is a similar view,showing the tWo'parts of the buckle in the position in which they can beseparated preparatory to adjusting the trace. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof the buckle-frame;l Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tongue-plate.Fig. 7 is an inside sectional elevation of' one of the side bars ofthebuckle-frame. Like letters of reference refer to like parts in theseveral figures.

A represents the haine-tug and E the trace. C represents thebuckle-frame, which is provided with a front cross-bar, c, to which the`haine-tug is attached, side bars, d d, and a rear cross-bar, e, whichbears against the outer l side of the trace.

F represents the tongue-plate, which is provided at its rear end with aloop, f, through which the trace passes, and at its front end withlaterallyprojecting ears g, which over- 5o lap the side bars, d d, ofthe buckle-fra1ne, and

of the latter and tighten the buckle.

h represents the stub-tongue, which is cast on the tongue-plate F. Thelatter is made concave on the side adiacent to the trace, as clearlyrepresented in Fig. l;

fi represents openings formed in the side bars, d d, of thebuckle-frame, for passing the ears or lugs n f/ of the tongue-framethrough the side bars,-A `The openings z' are arranged near the `frontends of the said side bars far enough from the hame-tug to clear thelatter, and in such position thatupon turning the buckle-frame on itsfront bar, o, vas a pivot to the position indicated in Fig. 4, theopenings 't may be brought in line with the ears g of the tongueopeningsi, thereby disengaging the tongueframe from the buckle-frame. t' areinclosed on their outer sides by curved bars j which connect the twoportions of each side bar. The bars 7' are arranged with their outersides below the outer sides of the side bars, so that the overlappingedges oi the ears g do not come in contact with the curved bars j p 7crepresents side loops formed on `the buckleframe C for attaching thepad-strap and girth thereto. Vhen these side loops `are used on thebuckle-frame, the curved barsy may be dispensed with, as well as thefront portions of the side bars, which lie between the openplate, sothat the latter can pass through the Y ride upon the outer curved orinclined sides The openings ings v3 in the front cross-bar, c.. The sideloops,

7;, are preferably curved like an S, as represented in Figs. 3 and .4,so that the main or central portions of the side bars lie aboutparallel-with the trace, thereby preventing. the twisting of the girth'and pad straps. The front upper edges of the openings fare preferablymade highery than the rear edges, as shown at t", in Fig.` 7, so Vas toguide the ears g over the openings when the draft is applied and causethem to enter the openings when the frame is reversed for that purpose.The lower rear edges of the openings are preferably lowered, as shown atft2 in Fig. 7, so as to guide the tongue-plate into the openings when itis desired to push the tongue-plate into the buckle-frame afteradjusting the trace.

IOO

gether in the following manner: The tongueplate is slipped over the endofthe trace by means of the loop f, and inserting the tongue in one ofthe lholes in the trace. The buckleframe is then tipped forwardly, so asto bring the openings in line with the ears of the tongueframe, and thelatter is then pushed with its ears through the openings in thebuckle-frame. The buckle-frame is then tipped back, so as to bring theears f/ against the outer sides of the side bars, d, of thetongue-frame, when the buckle is ready for use. As soon as the draft isapplied, the bar e ofthe buckle-frame bearing against the outer side o fthe trace presses the trace into the cavity of the concave plate j',thereby bending the trace and relieving the tongue from a large portionof the strain. The ears g are at the same time drawn up on the curved orinclined side bars, d, thereby wedging the plate f against the rear sideof the trace and pressing the latter against the rear sideof thecross-bar e of the buckle-frame. In order to adjust the trace thebuckle-frame is tipped forwardly7 as represented in Fig. 4, when thetongue-plate can be separated from the buckle-frame and adjusted on thetrace, while by a reverse movement the parts are again connected andmade ready for use.

The plate F may be provided with openings for the escape of any waterwhich may enter between the trace and the plate.

When the curved connecting-bars j and the short front portions of theside bars, el, are

omitted, the tongue-plate F may be provided with laterally-projectingeyes, which slide on or surround the side bars, d, instead of the earsy, which overlap the side bars.

Z represents a loop formed on the rear crossbar of the loop f, forattaching the side strap thereto, or, if preferred, this loop may beformed on the cross-bar e of the buckle-frame. I claim as my inventionl.The combination, in a buckle, of a frame provided'with openings i and atongue-plate having lateral projections g, adapted to be passed throughthe openings fi, and to ride on the side bars of the buckle-frame,substan- C,\and composed of a concave plate, F, laterally-projectingcurved ears g, and a loop, j',

substantially as set forth.

' EMMIT LATTA.

Vitnesses:

F. B. CHURCH, S. M. NORTON.

